The Path of Redemption
by Jlbrew85
Summary: The path of redemption is filled with forgiveness, hope, and love...as Anakin Skywalker is about to find out.
1. A Son's Stubborness

**Star Wars**

" **The Path to Redemption"**

 **Summary** **: The path to redemption is paved with forgiveness, hope, and love…something Anakin Skywalker, with the help from his children, is about to find out.**

 **Author's Note:** **This takes place at the end of ROTJ.**

 _ **Disclaimer:**_ **I don't own these characters. They belong to the George Lucas.**

… **Star Wars…**

 **Chapter 1:** _ **A Son's Stubbornness**_

The second Death Star was in chaos.

Officers, Storm-troopers, and Droids scattered every which way in an attempt to escape the doomed battle station.

In only a handful of moments, the Rebel Alliance would strike the fatal blow that would rip the Empire asunder and give them their greatest victory to date.

Luke Skywalker knew all this, felt it in the living Force that surrounded him and the universe.

That was why he was making his way to the nearest starship to make his escape.

It wasn't easy, however, as he had to drag the crippled body of his father, Anakin Skywalker—formally Darth Vader—with him.

He managed to reach a small transport vessel and hefted his father onto the ramp.

Taking a moment to catch his breath, he checked on the black clad figure that had until recently been the most feared being in the galaxy other than Emperor Palpatine himself.

Anakin's breathing was irregular, which told his son that the respirator within his suit—that was keeping him alive—was damaged.

"You m-m-must go, my son," Anakin wheezed through his voice synthesizer. "Go now, before it is too late."

"No," Luke told him, firmly. "I'm not leaving you!"

"You must," Anakin replied, firmly.

"But you'll die," Luke told him, his voice catching in his throat.

"Nothing can stop that now," Anakin told him, resigned.

Luke's jaw clenched stubbornly. "Wanna bet?" he growled, angrily.

Reaching underneath his father, he hefted him by the armpits and started pulling him up the ramp.

"L-Luke," Anakin pleaded, weakly. "Leave me, please!"

"No, Father," Luke replied, through gritted teeth. "I won't. We're both getting out of here alive!"

"I-If I had the strength," Anakin told him, as he was pulled into the ship. "I'd turn you across my knee, youngling!"

"You wouldn't dare," Luke told him, smirking.

He pulled him to the back of the ship and placed him on a bunk.

"Wanna bet," Anakin threw his son's words back at him.

"If you have the strength to threaten me," Luke told him, smiling. "You certainly have the strength to live."

He then plugged him into the ship's respiratory system—giving his father much needed oxygen.

Anakin sighed. "I'm so tired, son," he told him, wearily.

"Then rest," Luke told him, going up to the helm and starting the ship's engines. "I'm getting us out of here."

"You're as stubborn as your mother," his father rasped out, grumpily.

"Thank you," Luke told him, smirking. "I'll take that as a compliment."

Anakin grinned within the confines of his suit. Stubborn brat!

 _: Rest, Father:_ Luke's mental voice filled his mind through the tentative Force-bond they shared.

 _: I'm still going to turn across my knee:_ Anakin replied back, as he closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.

Luke smiled, feeling his father drift into sleep. He sighed with relief.

Luckily, with the chaos raging, no one had thought to activate the tractor beam that would have prevented them from leaving.

He shot the small transport out of the Death Star's hangar and began steering it toward the moon of Endor.

" _Hee hee,"_ a familiar voice chuckled beside him. _"Stubborn you are, young Skywalker."_

Luke glanced over to find the glowing form of Mastery Yoda sitting in the co-pilot's chair.

"Master Yoda," Luke said, glad to see his old teacher.

" _Well done, you have,"_ Master Yoda said, nodding in approval. _"Faced him, you did. Saved him, you did."_

Luke glanced back over his shoulder at the still black clad form.

"Does that mean he will live, Master?" he asked, worriedly.

" _Hard to see the future is,"_ Yoda reminded him. _"Fulfilled the Prophecy, he has. Brought balance back to the Force, he has. Uncertain, though, his future is. Depends on you, it will."_

"Me?" Luke asked, puzzled. "I don't understand?"

" _A reason to live, you and your sister are,"_ Yoda told him, calmly.

"Will he fight to live because of us, do you think?" Luke asked, curiously.

" _The Force is strong in him,"_ Yoda told him. _"Broken, however, his body and spirit are."_

The wizened Jedi gave him a speculative look.

"His body can be fixed," Luke said, knowingly. "And his spirit…well, we'll deal with one problem at a time."

Master Yoda nodded.

" _Give him a reason to fight, you shall,"_ the Jedi spirit replied, smiling. _"Of that, I am certain."_

Luke smiled at that.

"Thank you for everything, Master," he told him, sincerely. "I will always remember what you taught me."

" _May the Force be with you, young Skywalker,"_ Yoda spoke, obviously in farewell.

"May the Force be with you as well, Master Yoda," Luke told the Jedi spirit.

Yoda nodded one more time, and then faded back into the Force.

Luke glanced back at his father, and reached out with the Force to assure himself his father was still with him.

 _: It is impolite to bother an old man when he's resting:_ the tired, yet strong, mental voice told him sleepily.

 _: Yes, sir:_ Luke silently replied, smiling.

Turning back around, he began scanning for places to land.

Endor was still crawling with Imperials.

If he was going to get his father the medical help he needed, _he_ was going to need help.

And there was only one person he knew he could count on to help them.

Leia…

~TBC~


	2. A Daughter's Doubts

**Star Wars**

" **The Path to Redemption"**

 **Summary** **: The path to redemption is paved with forgiveness, hope, and love…something Anakin Skywalker, with the help from his children, is about to find out.**

 **Author's Note:** **This takes place at the end of ROTJ.**

 _ **Disclaimer:**_ **I don't own these characters. They belong to the George Lucas.**

… **Star Wars…**

 **Chapter 2:** _ **A Daughter's Doubts**_

The Ewok celebration was in full swing, but Leia Organa couldn't quite bring herself to join in the celebrations.

Her shoulder still ached a bit, but that was _not_ the reason for her discomfort or her inability to rejoice along with her friends.

Until Luke returned, she could not celebrate their victory.

Without her twin, her other half, it _wasn't_ a victory.

She could sense that he was still alive, but that was as far as it went.

She sighed. So many things had happened in such a short time.

She had learned that Luke, her best friend, was in fact her twin brother.

She learned that Darth Vader, the man who had tortured her and the man she loved, was in fact her father.

She shuddered at the thought.

Wrapping her arms around herself, she gazed out into the starry night sky and closed her eyes.

Reaching out with her newly discovered Force-senses, she tried once more to make contact with her brother.

She sighed when all she managed to get was a very vague feeling of 'I'm ok'.

She stamped her foot in frustration.

"Damn it, Luke Skywalker," she grumbled, sourly. "Where the hell are you!?"

A quiet chuckle behind her made her jump, and she spun around expecting to find Han Solo standing there.

She was more than a little surprised—more like _stunned_ —to see the glowing form of Obi-Wan Kenobi instead.

" _Do not be afraid, Leia,"_ the Jedi spirit told her, gently. _"I am not here to frighten you."_

"General Kenobi?" Leia asked, startled.

Luke had told her about his encounters with the Jedi Knight's spirit, of course, but she had never thought _she_ would be receiving a visit from him!

" _Yes, Leia_ ," he said, gently. " _Surprised to see me, I take it?_ "

Leia blushed a bit at that. "Well, I—" she stammered, uncertain what to say.

What exactly did you say to a ghost, anyway?

Obi-Wan chuckled again.

" _You know,"_ he told her, gently. " _You remind me a great deal of your mother._ "

"My mother?" Leia asked, surprised again. "You knew her?!"

Obi-Wan nodded.

" _Very well_ ," he told her, sadly. " _She was a wonderful friend and a brave woman."_

He seemed to stare off, as though remembering something from long ago.

" _I was with her the day you and Luke were born,"_ he told her. _"I was the first to hold you, in fact."_

"You were?" Leia asked, grinning. "Were we adorable?"

Obi-Wan smiled at that.

" _Very much so,"_ he told her, quietly. _"You mother was dying, even as she gave birth, but she had enough strength left to name you."_

Leia swallowed, a sudden intuition dawning on her.

"She died of a broken heart, didn't she?" she said, sadly.

Obi-Wan nodded, forlornly.

"Yes, I am afraid she did," he said, quietly. "Your father's betrayal hurt her terribly."

"How could she ever have loved him!?" she demanded to know. "How could she even be with that…that… _monster_!"

" _Ah…_ " Obi-Wan said, crossing his arms over his chest. " _Tell me, Leia, what do you think you know about your father?"_

"He's a monster!" Leia repeated, angrily. "I don't see how Luke thinks he can change!"

" _You are speaking of Darth Vader,"_ Obi-Wan told her, calmly _. "I'm speaking of your father, Anakin Skywalker."_

"They're the same person!" Leia declared, crossing her arms and glaring at him.

Obi-Wan nodded.

" _Yes and no,"_ he told her _. "Tell me, are you the same person you were ten years ago?"_

"Of course not," Leia told him, without thinking. "I've…changed."

The moment the words were out of her mouth, she regretted them.

She scowled at the dead general—the sneaky old Jedi!

" _Precisely_ ," Obi-Wan told her, pointedly. " _Darth Vader has done terrible things, but Anakin Skywalker has not. In the Old Republic, during the Clone Wars, your father was a hero. He saved many lives. He was known as the Hero without Fear, in fact…if only they had known."_

"Then what happened?" Leia wanted to know. "How could someone like that turn so…so… _evil_?"

" _He fell in love_ ," Obi-Wan said, sadly.

"What?" Leia asked, puzzled.

" _Anakin fell in love with your mother when he was just nine years old, Leia,"_ the Jedi spirit told her _. "Of course, all she saw in him at that time was a sweet little boy. It was only when she saw him as a grown man that she too fell just as deeply in love with him."_

"I don't understand," Leia said, confused. "How could falling in love make him…become what he has?"

" _Because_ ," Obi-Wan said, sadly. " _He loved her_ _ **too**_ _much. He loved her so much that he was afraid to lose her. He loved her so much that he was willing to do_ _ **anything**_ _to keep her safe."_

"Even kill?" Leia asked, her voice barely a whisper.

Obi-Wan nodded.

" _Fear leads to Anger, Anger leads to Hate, Hate leads to…Suffering,"_ he told her, sadly.

"Yes, I know," Leia said, confused. "But what does that—?"

" _The Emperor sensed these qualities in Anakin and sought to exploit them,"_ the Jedi Master told her. _"He sent dreams and nightmares, of your mother dying, to torment and upset his mind."_

"Why?" Leia asked, even more puzzled. "If the Emperor was _that_ powerful, why would he need him?"

" _Because_ ," Obi-Wan said, " _the Emperor—like all Sith—was a coward. He knew if he was to maintain the Empire he needed a strong enforcer to strike fear into the hearts of his subjects. The Force is strong within your family, and Anakin was the perfect choice—he was young, arrogant, and easily manipulated."_

"So, what happened?" Leia asked, curious.

" _The Emperor began feeding Anakin lies_ ," Obi-Wan said, " _telling him that if he joined him, did as he said, only then would he have the power to keep your mother alive. Anakin was head-strong and, as I said, so deeply in love that he couldn't see reason. The Emperor pushed and pushed until he tilted over the edge…once that happened, your father was consumed by the Dark Side and Darth Vader took his place."_

Leia felt a chill go through her.

"But our mother died, anyway," she said, angrily. "He _didn't_ save her!"

Obi-Wan shook his head.

" _No_ ," he said, sadly. " _And that, I'm afraid, was just what the emperor was hoping for."_

"Why?" Leia asked, intrigued now despite herself.

" _Because_ ," the Jedi Knight replied, sadly. " _It meant that Anakin had no hope left—no reason to resist the anger and hatred within him. So long as he was filled with grief, rage, and hate Vader would do his master's bidding. He had no reason not to, but…if it was discovered that he did, in fact, have a reason to resist the Emperor, to fight his way from the Dark Side, and free himself…"_

"That's why we were separated," Leia suddenly realized, her brown eyes wide. "That's why we were kept hidden. In the hope that we—me or Luke—would be his reason to fight back!"

Obi-Wan nodded.

" _Yes_ ," he told her, smiling. " _W_ _e were right. Your brother believed in him, something no one had done in nearly twenty years, and it gave your father the strength to fight his way out of Palpatine's control. Darth Vader is gone, Leia. He may still wear the suit and mask, but he is no longer the man you and the rest of the galaxy feared. Anakin Skywalker, your father, has broken free of the darkness that imprisoned him."_

"He's still alive, then?" Leia asked, glancing out at the night sky.

Obi-Wan nodded.

" _Yes_ ," he said, " _but he's going to need both you and your brother if he is to remain so."_

Leia swallowed. "I don't know if I can forgive him," she said, quietly. "Not the way Luke has."

" _You must_ ," Obi-Wan told her, firmly. " _Fear, Anger, Hatred—they are the tools of the Dark Side, as your father knows only too well…"_

His face softened.

" _But_ _forgiveness, hope, and love,"_ he told her, gently _. "They are the tools of the Light Side and help make up the path of redemption your father is now on. The past cannot be changed, Leia, but the future can be made better. Give him that chance, as your brother has."_

"I…" Leia said, hesitantly, biting her lip.

 _: Leia:_ Luke's voice filled her mind suddenly. _: Leia, I need you:_

"Luke," Leia whispered, feeling her brother's presence wash over her.

She looked at the glowing form of Obi-Wan.

The old Jedi merely nodded.

" _Go to them, Leia,"_ he urged her _. "Help your brother get your father the help he needs. Take your first step to forgiveness, and help him take that first step to redemption."_

Leia nodded. "I will…or at least I'll try," she said, swallowing.

Obi-Wan smiled. _"May the Force be with you,"_ he intoned, gently.

"May the Force be with you, as well," she said, and then smiled. "And…thank you."

He grinned, and then faded back into the Force.

A hand on her shoulder made her jump.

"Hey, Sweetheart," Han replied, giving her his patented care-free smile. "You okay? You seem a little jumpy."

Leia smiled. "I'm fine, Han," she told him, hurriedly. "But I have to go!"

"Go?" he asked, confused. "Go where?"

"To Luke," she told him, standing on her tip toes to give him a kiss. "He called to me through the Force."

"Hey, wait!" Han called after her as she turned to make her way out of village. "What the hell—?"

"I have to go," she told him, turning back.

There was a determined look on her face that told him not to argue with her.

He nodded, knowing better than to protest.

"I get that," he told her, quietly. "Do you want me to come with you?"

Leia bit her lip.

She _did_ want that, but…she did not think he would react well to seeing Vader alive.

She shook her head.

"No, this is something I have to do on my own," she said, and then kissed him. "I love you, Nerf Herder."

"I love you too, Princess," he told her. "Tell that brother of yours I'll see him soon."

"I will," she told him, kissing him again and then made her way to a speeder bike that was parked nearby.

Leia hopped on the bike and started her up.

 _: Luke, I'm coming:_ She called to her brother through the Force. _: Where are you? :_

She felt her brother smile, and smiled back.

He then sent her the directions on how to find the ship he had stolen to get off the Death Star.

Gunning the engine, the speeder bike roared to life and sped through the trees.

She had started on the path to forgiveness.

Now she just had to help her brother get their father on the path to redemption.

This was NOT going to be easy.

Of that, she was absolutely certain.

~TBC~


	3. A Family Reunited

**Star Wars**

" **The Path to Redemption"**

 **Summary** **: The path to redemption is paved with forgiveness, hope, and love…something Anakin Skywalker, with the help from his children, is about to find out.**

 **Author's Note:** **This takes place at the end of ROTJ.**

 _ **Disclaimer:**_ **I don't own these characters. They belong to the George Lucas.**

… **Star Wars…**

 **Chapter 3:** _ **A Family Reunited**_

Luke sensed that his sister was on her way, and smiled.

He knew he could count on Leia to come to his aid.

She always had before, and that was when she didn't even know they were related…

He got up to check on his father.

He listened to the sound of his father's breathing through the voice synthesizer of his mask and watched the rise-n-fall of his chest plate.

Reaching out with the Force, he gently touched his father's slumbering mind—not enough to wake him, but enough to make certain he was all right.

"Everything is going to be all right, Father," Luke whispered to the slumbering armor clad man. "I promise."

He sighed. His head was hurting, his body ached, and his eyes felt like they were on fire.

He knew he needed to rest, but he didn't dare with his father injured.

If they were attacked before Leia arrived, he'd be unable to prevent any harm befalling either of them.

 _: Leia :_ He reached out through the Force to touch his sister's mind.

 _: Luke, what's wrong? :_ Leia's soft, concerned, voice flowed back to him.

He smiled.

 _: Nothing, dear sister:_ he told her, gently. _: Just hurry, please :_

 _: I'm almost there:_ Leia called back. _: I should be there in a few minutes:_

Luke smiled. : _Good:_

He then broke off the connection so that she could concentrate on what she was doing.

He glanced once more at his father. _Just hang on a bit longer, Father, we're going to get you help._

Just as she had said, about ten minutes later he heard the distinct sound of a speeder bike pull up outside.

"Luke!" Leia voice called to him. "Luke?!"

"In here, Leia!" he called to her. She stepped on board and he smiled.

She looked none the worse for wear despite having been in a major battle and being injured.

She smiled at the sight of him and ran to throw her arms around him.

He hugged her back just as fiercely.

"Oh, Luke!" she cried, fiercely. "Thank goodness you're all right! I've been so worried!"

Luke kissed her on the cheek.

"I was a little worried about me too for a while there," he told her, pulling away from her for a moment.

Leia smiled at that. "Are you hurt anywhere?" she asked him, concerned.

"Not really," he told her, vaguely. "What about you? I felt you cry out—how's your shoulder?"

She reached up and touched the wound where the blaster had hit.

"It aches," she confessed, hesitantly. "But not as badly as it did."

He nodded.

"Good," he said, forcing a smile upon his face. Goodness, but he ached all over!

"You called for help, why?" Leia asked him, gently.

Luke turned to the black clad figure lying in on the bunk.

"We need to get him to the hospital frigate," he told her. "I'd have gone there immediately, but the battle was still raging pretty heavily."

"You could have taken him now," she reminded him.

"I know," he said, hesitantly. "I just thought if you were with me there wouldn't be such a hassle."

"What do you mean?" Leia asked, puzzled.

"Well," Luke said, blushing. "You _are_ Mon Mothma's top diplomat, after all, while I'm just…"

"Just what?" Leia asked, hands on her hips. "A Commander? A Jedi Knight? A WAR HERO?!"

Luke blushed a bit at that, which seemed to make her seethe even more.

She narrowed her eyes at him.

"You know damn well, Luke Skywalker, that if you asked they would have treated him," she told him, firmly.

"I wanted you with me," Luke confessed. "He's _our_ father, Leia. We should both be there for him."

Leia bit her lip, glancing at the black clad figure.

"I know he saved your life," she told him, hesitantly. "And I know he's supposed to have changed, but…that mask…"

Luke nodded, understanding.

"He asked me to take the mask off of him while we were still on the Death Star," he told her, sighing.

"Why didn't you?" his sister wanted to know.

"Because he would have died," he told her, sadly. "I didn't have him hooked up to the respirators, then…"

"Well," she said, sighing. "We might not be able to do anything about the armor yet, but we can at least take off the mask. Can't we?"

Luke nodded. "It should be all right," he said, thoughtfully. "C'mon, help me…"

Together, the twins removed the helmet portion of their father's mask that everyone had come to associate with him for nearly twenty years.

What they found underneath had them both shocked and dismayed.

"Oh, Luke," Leia breathed, her eyes wide at the sight of the pale, scarred skin.

Luke had to fight back tears, seeing the scarred face of his father.

"It looks like they didn't even try to patch him up," he said, angrily. "They just stuck him in that suit before he had time to even start healing."

"The Emperor wanted it that way," Leia said, knowingly.

Her personal feelings aside, _no one_ deserved to be treated so vilely.

"That makes sense," Luke said, nodding. "How do you know?"

Leia blushed. "Obi-Wan told me," she confessed, biting her lip.

She wasn't sure how he'd react to that bit of news.

Luke smiled. "You've seen him?" he asked, grinning.

Leia nodded. "Yes," she said, blushing a bit at his "I knew it" smile.

"He came to me tonight and explained some things," she told him, gently.

Luke nodded.

"He'd almost given up all hope," he said, glancing down at the scarred face of their father. "He truly believed he wasn't worth saving…"

Leia reached out and squeezed his shoulder, reassuringly.

"Obi-Wan said that all he needed was a reason to resist," she explained. "We were apparently that reason."

"Master Yoda said the same thing," Luke said, grinning.

He then winced as a spasm of pain ripped through him.

Leia frowned. "Luke, what's wrong?" she asked, worried.

"It's nothing," Luke tried to reassure her, but he swayed on his feet and would have collapsed if she hadn't caught him.

"It most certainly _is_ something," Leia hissed at him. "You're hurt and you were going to just act as if you were fine, weren't you?"

Luke sighed. "I had to get Father to safety," he complained, lamely.

"Well, he's safe," Leia told him, sternly. "So _you_ are just going to lie down and rest while I get you _both_ to the hospital frigate."

Luke sighed, as she helped him lay down on the second bunk beside their father.

"First _he_ threatens to turn me across his knee," he said, smirking. "And now _you're_ scolding me like a mother hen. I'm a grown man, you know!"

" _That_ is a matter of opinion," Leia told him, smirking. "Besides, scolding is what sisters do best."

Luke grinned. "Great," he said, trying to ignore the pain. "What do brothers do best?"

"Tease their sisters mercilessly and act all macho when they should be asking for help," she told him, sarcastically.

"Oh," he said, grinning as he closed his eyes. "I can do that."

Leia smiled, bending down to kiss his forehead.

"Rest now," she told him, gently, "I won't let anything happen to you. You're the only family I have, after all."

"You have Han," Luke reminded her, opening his eyes again.

"I know," she said, smiling. "But that's different. You and I share a bond Han could never understand."

Luke smiled wider. "You're gonna make one hell of a Jedi, little sister," he told her.

Leia wanted to ask him how he knew he'd been born first, but instead moved to the cockpit and fired up the engines.

"Well, big brother," she told him, glancing back at him. "I happen to think you're already one hell of a Jedi already."

 _: Children should be seen and not heard:_ a mental voice filled their minds.

Leia jumped, but Luke just grinned.

"What was that?" she asked, wide-eyed. "Was it…him?"

She nodded toward the limp form on the cot.

Luke nodded. "Yep," he said, smirking.

They looked to the prone black form, but as far as they could tell, he was still asleep.

They then looked at each other and smiled.

A silent chuckle echoed in their minds.

Luke closed his eyes and allowed himself to flow into calm, reaching out with the Force to begin a healing meditation.

He began to feel the aches and pains begin to ease.

Leia smiled, sensing that Luke was doing _something_ with the Force that was calming his body and mind.

Assured that he was now on his way to mending any ills done to him, she got the starship off the ground and headed for the hospital frigate in space.

Neither of them really knew what kind of reaction they and their father were going to get, but they both knew one thing.

It was going to be interesting, to say the least.

~TBC~


	4. Healing Old Wounds

**Star Wars**

" **The Path to Redemption"**

 **Summary** **: The path to redemption is paved with forgiveness, hope, and love…something Anakin Skywalker, with the help from his children, is about to find out.**

 **Author's Note:** **This takes place at the end of ROTJ.**

 _ **Disclaimer:**_ **I don't own these characters. They belong to the George Lucas.**

… **Star Wars…**

 **Chapter 4:** _ **Healing Old Wounds**_

It took them about an hour and a half to reach Base One, the ship that acted as both headquarters and hospital for the Rebel Alliance.

"You'd better hail them before they decide to fire on us," Luke told Leia, coming and sitting in the co-pilot's seat.

Leia scowled at him. "You're supposed to be resting," she reminded him, sternly.

Luke grinned boyishly.

"I went into a healing trance, Leia," he told her. "The aching I felt has been relieved and all I need to ward off the weariness is a good night's sleep. I'll have the medical droid take a look at my scrapes and bruises…"

"Good," Leia told him, relieved.

" _A_ _fter_ we make certain Father is going to be all right," he finished, stubbornly.

Leia sighed. "You're too stubborn for your own good," she commented.

Luke smiled.

"Father told me I get it from our mother," he said, proudly. "That means you must have _his_ temper."

"Well, isn't _that_ just terrific," Leia said, snorting. She opened a comm. channel to hail the ship.

"Leia Organa to Base One," she spoke to the command ship. "Commander Skywalker and I have a critically injured man aboard this vessel and are requesting medics meet us in the docking bay immediately. Commander Skywalker is also in need of their services."

 _: Leia! :_ Luke hissed at his sister mentally.

 _: Someone has to look after you while you're busy looking after him:_ she scolded him, nonplussed. _: That's_ _ **my**_ _job :_

Luke scowled at her. _: You know, I'm beginning to see why people say you're a royal pain in the—:_

Luckily for him, the comm. beeped at just that moment.

" _Base One to shuttlecraft,"_ a voice came over the comm. link, interrupting him. _"You have permission to dock. Medics are standing by."_

Leia reached over and clicked off the comm. link. She glanced at her brother.

"Well," she said, taking a deep breath. "Here we go."

"I'll go get Father ready," he said, getting up.

"What are you going to do?" Leia asked, curious. "Try to hide the suit?"

"No," Luke told her. "I want to make certain that the respirator is functioning properly in case the medics don't have one on hand right away."

"Right," Leia said, steering toward the docking bay.

They landed and she released the ramp to allow the medics on board. She met them at the door.

"Your Highness," the chief medic, a woman by the name of Tara Danes, greeted her. "Where's the patient?"

"Right this way," she said, and led them into the back.

A loud gasp sounded when they got a good look at the black clad figure lying on the bunk.

"You're Highness," Danes exclaimed, wide eyed. "That's—!"

"Your patient, Corporal," Luke told the woman, his voice unusually stern. "See to him immediately."

Luke rarely used his position as a commander, except during battle, but this was one time he was more than willing to pull rank.

"But, Commander," the woman exclaimed, still shocked. "That's Darth—"

"We know _who_ he is, Corporal," Leia said, firmly. "We are also aware that he saved Commander Skywalker's life."

"He's also responsible for killing the emperor," Luke told them, seriously. "That is how he received his wounds."

"As far as you are concerned, however," Leia told her, sternly. "He is a defecting officer and shall be treated as such. Is that understood?"

All five of the medics came to attention, saluting both of them as the commanding officers they were.

"Of course," Danes said, swallowing hard. "We'll get him to sick bay right away."

Luke and Leia moved out of their way and watched as they made their cursory diagnosis of their patient.

"Lungs badly damaged," one medic reported after running a scan. "They're barely functioning at the moment…"

"Artificial limbs," another reported. "Below both elbows and both knees…"

"He's definitely going to need a lot of work," Danes said, sighing. "Let's get him to sick bay stat! Bring in the gurney!"

A sixth medic wheeled in a gurney and it took all six of them to boost the large armor clad man onto it.

As they wheeled him down, Danes looked at the twins.

"We'll do everything we can, Sir, Ma'am," she told them, and then headed after her patient.

"I'm going with them," Luke told his sister. "I want him to be able to sense my presence so he will stay calm."

Leia nodded, understanding.

"I'll join you once I've finished reporting to Mon Mothma," she told him.

"What are you going to tell her?" Luke asked, curiously.

"The truth," she told him, shrugging. "He's our father, Luke. There's no changing it."

"No," he agreed, "and I wouldn't want to change it."

With that, he headed after the medics and their father.

 _I would,_ Leia couldn't help but think.

Shaking her head, remembering what Obi-Wan had told her about learning to forgive, she knew she would have to give Anakin a chance to prove himself before making such assumptions.

Steeling herself, she headed out of the ship towards Mon Mothma's office.

This, she had a feeling, was going to take a while…

Meanwhile, Luke found his father had been wheeled immediately into surgery.

He reached out with the Force, hoping to get a read on how his father was faring.

Unfortunately, the only thing he received back was a warm fuzzy feeling that was altogether familiar.

 _He's gone into a healing trance,_ he realized suddenly. _That's why his mind seemed so alert and yet his body didn't._

 _: Good job, son :_ his father's mental voice spoke to him and then the connection dissolved once more.

Luke sighed, knowing it was going to be a long night.

He sat down and waited for the medic to come talk to him…or for his sister to join him.

As it turned out, the former happened first.

"Commander," Danes came out dressed in scrubs some several hours later.

"How is he, Corporal?" he asked, concerned.

"We're repairing the damage done to his lungs right now, sir," she told him. "When we're done he won't need a respirator any more. We're also using a new type of advanced cloning to regenerate his missing limbs. His skin and hair, however, is going to be tricky. We don't know what he looked like before and without any healthy skin tissue we can't regenerate it."

"Is there another way to replace his skin and hair?" Luke asked, curious.

"Yes, sir, but we would need a relative of his," she told him. "Ideally, we'd need an offspring."

Luke nodded. "Take samples of my skin and hair," he told her. "Use those."

Danes looked puzzled. "I don't understand, sir," she said, confused.

"He's my father, Corporal," he told her, shocking her yet again. "There isn't time to explain how that's possible, all that matters is that I can donate what you need."

Danes' eyes were still wide, but she nodded.

"I'll take those samples right away," she said, and went to retrieve the necessary equipment.

She quickly took the samples and then returned to her patient.

It was then that Leia joined him. "How is he?" she asked, curious.

"Still in surgery," he told her, sighing. "I think it's going to be a while."

She nodded, but then glanced at him out of the corner of her eye.

He might be good at hiding it from others, but she could tell he was exhausted.

"You need to rest, Luke," she told him, reaching out to move a stray lock of blonde hair out of his eyes.

He sighed. "I told you I would once he's all right," he replied, stubbornly.

Leia glared at him.

"You're impossible, you know that," she told him, running her fingers through his messy hair.

He smirked. "I love you, too," he said, sarcastically.

She snorted, and then sighed.

"Mon Mothma wants to know immediately when he's out of surgery and what his condition is," she told him. "She's meeting with General Madine and Admiral Ackbar now to let them know he's here."

"I take it we're not required to be there?" he asked, hopefully.

"No," she told him. "She wants us to remain right here. Since you're being stubborn, I think I'm going to go let Han know what's going on. You really do need to rest, Luke…"

Luke grinned, shaking his head as he watched her exit the hospital wing.

Sisters!

~TBC~


	5. Waking Up Free

**Star Wars**

" **The Path to Redemption"**

 **Summary** **: The path to redemption is paved with forgiveness, hope, and love…something Anakin Skywalker, with the help from his children, is about to find out.**

 **Author's Note:** **This takes place at the end of ROTJ.**

 _ **Disclaimer:**_ **I don't own these characters. They belong to the George Lucas.**

… **Star Wars…**

 **Chapter 5: Waking Up Free**

Anakin awoke from the healing trance he'd put himself in.

Opening his eyes, he blinked at the bright light that stung his eyes and wondered why the receptors in his mask weren't adjusting.

He reached up to touch his face and saw that an actual hand, rather than a black mechanical glove, was there.

He raised the other one and found the same thing. _My hands! They're whole again!_

He raised the blanket and looked at his legs.

Sure enough, a pair of feet lay at the end instead of black mechanical boots.

He wiggled his toes, and smiled. And they weren't prosthetic, either!

He'd heard rumors of a new advanced healing regeneration technique but never thought in a million years that it could help him.

He reached up to touch his face, as he felt air brush his cheek.

He felt a lump rise in his throat as he felt skin rather than a black breathing mask.

He reached further up and felt hair, where before there had only been a polished black helmet.

He glanced down at his chest and found himself wearing a hospital gown rather than black body armor.

He took in a deep breath and exhaled. His lungs had been repaired as well, it seemed.

For the first time in nearly twenty years, he was breathing on his own.

He felt a sob tighten in his chest.

He hadn't felt this wonderful…since… well since Padme told him she was pregnant.

 _I'm free,_ he thought to himself in amazement. _I'm finally free!_

Free of the suit, free of the emperor, and free of the Sith forever!

He felt like jumping up and dancing, but figured that would probably be overdoing it a bit.

He looked around the room he had been placed in.

It was a standard hospital room aboard, no doubt, the Alliance's HQ cruiser.

Everything was perfectly sterile and white, except for the black clad form hunched over in a chair at his bedside.

Luke sat, propped up on his elbow, sound asleep.

Anakin realized the boy must have stayed with him this entire time.

He wasn't sure how long he'd been out, but it must have been a while and if his son had stayed awake all that time no wonder he was exhausted.

 _Stubborn child,_ he thought with grin. _Just like his mother…_

Pulling back the covers, Anakin decided to test his new legs.

He was sure the medicos, wherever they were, would be advising him to stay in bed…

But he'd been ignoring doctors' orders a long time. He wasn't about to start now.

Pulling his legs off the side of the bed, he used his newly functioning hands to boost himself to a standing position.

He felt a bit shaky, but that was understandable as these legs were brand new and all, just like a baby standing for the first time.

Using the Force to help balance himself, he took a tentative step and then another until he was sure he could keep his balance.

Once he knew he wasn't going to bust his ass on the floor, he slowly made his way around the other side of the bed to where his son slumbered.

Reaching out, he placed a hand on the boy's unruly blonde hair.

Luke didn't stir, not even an inch.

That told Anakin just how exhausted the boy was. He sighed.

Reaching out with the Force, he gently levitated his son over to the bed he'd just gotten up from.

Luke didn't even stir or rouse from his slumber.

Pulling the covers over his sleeping child, he bent down to place a fatherly kiss upon his forehead.

Just then, the door to the suite opened.

He turned to find a tall, regal looking woman in a white gown standing there.

Though older, he recognized her none the less.

She was Mon Mothma, a former Senator in the Old Republic and the leader of the Rebel Alliance, and she was staring at him in bemusement.

"Shhh," he whispered to her, nodding his head at his slumbering son. "He's exhausted."

Mon Mothma stepped further into the room.

"Are you certain you should be up?" she asked him, curiously. "You were in surgery for seventy-two hours, in a Bacta tank for another seventy-two after that, and have been unconscious for the last twenty-four."

"That long, huh?" he asked, feeling a bit shaky on his new legs. "I guess you're right. I think I will sit down."

He moved over to where a hover chair was and sat down in it.

Mon Mothma glanced at the slumbering Luke.

"Perhaps we should speak elsewhere," she suggested, quietly. "So we don't disturb your…uh, Luke."

Anakin nodded, and gestured for the door. "After you, M'lady," he said, smirking.

She nodded and headed out the door. He followed her in the hover chair.

They entered a small lounge that was near his room, so that Mon Mothma could sit down as well.

She studied him a moment.

"The medics did a remarkable job," she commented. "You look just like Luke—albeit an older version."

Anakin smirked at that.

"Hard living, M'lady," he told her. "I wouldn't recommend it. Are we going to discuss my trial?"

"Trial?" Mon Mothma asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I assume you have informed the other leaders that I am here," Anakin said, seriously. "I'm sure there are more than a few demanding my head on a plate."

Mon Mothma nodded.

"There are a few," she told him, seriously. "But whether you're put on trial or not will depend solely on you, Anakin."

Anakin raised an eyebrow at that.

"You don't seem angry, m'lady," he told her, surprised. "That's not the reaction one would expect when one is the most hated man in the galaxy."

"Are you the most hated, Anakin?" Mothma asked, bemusedly. "I thought that was Emperor Palpatine, and I have been told he is no longer a problem."

"He isn't and neither is Vader," Anakin told her, firmly. "But that doesn't excuse his—my—crimes."

"No," Mothma said, sadly. "It doesn't. However, I doubt your death will solve anything. If you are willing to defect to our side, I can guarantee you a pardon."

"I will be happy to offer what aid I can," he told her, solemnly. "You do realize that even with the emperor dead, the war is far from over. The empire might be in chaos, but it still exists. It may be several more years of fighting before a new government can be implemented."

Mothma nodded.

"I know," she told him, sighing. "But perhaps with your help we may be able to shorten that time a bit."

"I'll try, m'lady," he told her, honestly. "Right now, though, I need time to sort things out. I need to understand my place in the grand scheme of things. And I also need to work things out with my children."

"Yes, of course," Mon Mothma said, and then smiled fondly. "You know, Leia reminds me so much of Padme."

The mention of his wife sent a stab of grief through Anakin's heart.

"Yes, I know," he said, gulping. "Though I believe she inherited my quick temper."

"That she did," Mothma agreed, smiling. "And Luke has his mother's stubbornness…"

Anakin chuckled.

"You noticed that too, huh?" he asked, smirking. "I told that boy to leave me on the Death Star, but he wouldn't listen. I even threatened to tan his hide, but it didn't faze him a bit."

Mon Mothma chuckled.

"I'm beginning to see why Padme loved you so deeply, Anakin," she told him. "And why Luke fought so hard to save you."

Anakin nodded.

"Thank you, m'lady," he said, sincerely. "Though I feel I don't deserve such praise…"

"We'll see," Mothma said, nodding. "But for now—"

The door to the lounge swung open and Luke rushed inside.

"There you are!" the young man exclaimed, glaring at his father. "You shouldn't be up yet! We need to get you back into bed!"

It was only then that he acknowledged Mon Mothma's presence with a quick nod of his head.

"Sorry, Ma'am," he said, blushing a bit. "For interrupting, I mean…"

She nodded back, watching this exchange between father and son with interest.

"Quite all right, Commander," she told him, grinning.

Anakin exchanged a glance with her, and she attempted to hide an amused smile.

He sighed and turned a stern gaze upon his son.

"Actually," he said, firmly. "I think you've got it backwards, son. We need to get _you_ back into bed."

"Me?" Luke asked. "I'm fine, I—"

"Have no doubt been awake for a solid week," Anakin finished for him. "Not to mention you have several critical wounds…"

"I've used the Jedi healing techniques, Father," Luke told him, stubbornly. "I'm fine now."

"Oh, really?" Anakin asked, crossing his arms over his chest. "Just how long of a healing meditation, may I ask?"

"Uh, well," Luke said, blushing. "About half an hour each day…"

Anakin's eyes narrowed and he frowned. He glanced at Mon Mothma.

"You'll have to excuse me, M'lady," he said, respectfully. "It seems I have an errant child to deal with."

He stood up out of the hover chair, and at his full height he easily towered over his son.

"You, young man," he told Luke, sternly, "are going to get yourself looked over by a medic and then it's back to bed with you—no arguing, that's final."

"Father," Luke replied, stubbornly. "You need to…hey!"

His father had grabbed a hold of his ear quite firmly causing him to yelp.

"Now then," Anakin replied, smirking. "Let's go."

"Oh, and Anakin?" Mon Mothma said, grinning.

He turned back around, not letting go of Luke for a moment.

"Yes, M'lady?" he asked, curiously.

"The council will be meeting to discuss your defection," she told him. "I'm sure you will wish to be there."

Anakin thought a moment, but then nodded.

"Yes, M'lady," he told her, "I would at that. Please, let me know when it is to be held. Thank you."

He then turned and continued back toward his room, dragging a wincing Luke along with him.

"Father, please," Luke pleaded, wincing at the sharp tug to his ear. "This is embarrassing! I'm not a child, for Force sakes!"

" _That_ is a matter of opinion," Anakin told him, but he did release his ear.

Luke straightened up, rubbing his ear. "That hurt," he complained.

"Not worse than Force conjured lightening," Anakin told him, narrowing his eyes at him. "Or _perhaps_ a sore rear end."

He leveled him with a pointed look.

Luke sighed, knowing a threat when he heard it.

"I'm all right, Father," he told him, "I swear."

"Humph," Anakin growled, shaking his head. "You are a stubborn brat."

"Yes, so you've told me," Luke replied, grinning.

"Hey, kid!" a cheerful, loud voice shouted across the hall.

The two Skywalker men turned to find Leia and Han Solo coming towards them.

Anakin gasped at the sight of Leia in her white senatorial robes. _She looks so much like her mother…_

"Luke," Leia asked, glancing at their father. "What is he doing up? He shouldn't be moving around yet!"

" _I_ know that and _you_ know that," Luke said, still rubbing his ear. "But _he_ apparently doesn't agree with us."

"That's right," Anakin told them both, firmly. "I have been taking care of myself now for forty-seven years… _without_ your help, I might add."

Han chuckled at that. "He's got you there," he said, smirking.

The twins turned equal glares upon him. He held up his hands in self-defense.

"Hey, I was only sayin'," he grumbled, sourly. He then eyed Anakin up and down. "You know, without the suit, you don't seem that terrifying…"

Anakin rolled his eyes at that.

"Believe me, Solo," he told him. "I never needed a suit to instill fear. Leia, I need to get your brother to a medic."

"Father, I am _not_ ten years old," Luke growled, blushing furiously. "And I don't see you treating _Leia_ this way. She was hurt, too!"

"Hey," Leia exclaimed, indignant. "Don't bring me into this!"

She did, however, unconsciously reach up and place a hand over her wounded shoulder.

"Have you had that seen to?" Anakin asked her, pointing at her shoulder.

He too had felt her cry out when she'd been hurt.

"Well, I…not exactly," Leia faltered, blushing. Why did his stern gaze intimidate her so?

"No, she hasn't," Han answered, glaring down at her.

"Han," Leia hissed at him. "Who side are you on?"

"Hey, Sweetheart," he said, defensively. "I tried to get you to see a medic, but you wouldn't listen—too worried about your brother and the old man here."

Anakin bristled a bit at the 'old man' comment, but let it go. He had his children to see to.

"Fine," he said, firmly. "You're _both_ going to be seen by a medic. Solo, go find us one."

"Uh, sure thing," Han said, earning himself more glares from the twins.

"What?" he asked them, shrugging. "He can still break me in two if he wanted."

Anakin chuckled. "That's right," he said, smirking. "And don't you forget it, either."

He started down the hall back toward his room, but then stopped and called out again.

"And Solo," Anakin called back over his shoulder. "One more thing…"

"What's that?" Han asked, hesitantly.

"Find me some damn clothes," he ordered, scowling. "This hospital gown has a draft and my ass is cold!"

He then continued on his way taking the twins with him, pointedly ignoring their gripes and complaints.

Han chuckled, shaking his head.

He momentarily thought about coming to their rescue, but then thought better of it.

He might be in love, but he still not _that_ crazy.

He then turned and headed in search of a medic…and some clothes.

~TBC~


	6. The Fate Debate

**Star Wars**

" **The Path to Redemption"**

 **Summary** **: The path to redemption is paved with forgiveness, hope, and love…something Anakin Skywalker, with the help from his children, is about to find out.**

 **Author's Note:** **This takes place at the end of ROTJ.**

 _ **Disclaimer:**_ **I don't own these characters. They belong to the George Lucas.**

… **Star Wars…**

 **Chapter 6:** _ **The Fate Debate**_

It was the next afternoon before Luke and Leia were allowed to leave the hospital wing.

Neither had been happy about it, but both _had_ gotten their wounds seen to and rested.

They did agree (begrudgingly) that it _had_ seemed to help.

Upon being allowed to dress, Luke asked, "Danes, do you know where my father is?"

"The last I heard, Sir," Chief Medic Danes told him. "He was in the hangar with General Solo."

Luke and Leia looked at each other, and then headed for the hangar.

As they reached the Millennium Falcon they heard clanking coming from within.

"Solo, you idiot!" they heard their father's voice exclaim. "This hyper-drive looks like a jigsaw puzzle!"

"Well, it ain't exactly easy finding parts for a classic like the _Falcon_ , old man," Han's voice yelled back.

"Humph," they heard Anakin grunt. "It's a good thing I came along when I did!"

The sound of more clanking and grinding was heard.

"Hey, hey, don't do that!" they heard Han complain. "I _need_ that."

"Solo," they heard Anakin growl. "I've been repairing hunks of junk since I was three years old, so I think I know what I'm doing."

"Maybe so," Han argued back, "but—"

"The only butt you need to worry about is yours," Anakin growled. "Now get out of my way before I put my boot up it!"

"Fine, fine," Han said, storming down the ramp and stopping at the sight of the twins.

He jerked his thumb back inside the ship. "He sure is a bossy son of a—"

"I heard that," Anakin called out from within, causing him to wince.

Han chuckled, shaking his head. "He ain't so bad," he told them. "For an old guy…"

Luke and Leia looked at each other, wondering what was going on.

"Oh, uh," Luke said, nonplussed. "So, you two are…"

"…getting along, all right?" Leia asked, hesitantly.

Han shrugged.

"Sure," he said, smirking. "Although I kinda owe him about twelve thousand credits that he beat me out of in cards. I still say he cheated!"

That last was hollered back over his shoulder.

"I don't need to cheat to beat the pants off you, Solo," Anakin told him, coming down the ramp while wiping his greasy hands.

He was wearing a pair of Han's pants and one of his white shirts.

"Good morning, Father," Luke greeted the smiling older man. "You look…"

"Different," Leia finished for him, still a bit stunned by what was happening.

"I was going to say happy," Luke said, "but yeah…different sums it up pretty good, too."

Anakin chuckled.

"Nothing has ever made me happier," he told them, "then fixing something that needed it…except maybe your mother, but then that was a _different_ kind of pleasure."

"We really don't need to know," Luke and Leia spoke at the same time, both blushing furiously.

"You old dog," Han said, slapping him up side the back. "Didn't know you had it in you?!"

Anakin snorted.

"If I didn't, Solo," he told him. "You wouldn't have a girlfriend right now. Remember?"

"Then, I'm doubly grateful," Han told him, smirking at Leia—who simply rolled her eyes.

Anakin turned to the twins.

"How are you two feeling?" he asked them, seriously. "Did the medics let you go?"

Luke grinned.

"Yes, Father," he said, smirking. "We did as you told us and stayed put until they told us we could go."

Anakin nodded. "Good," he said, "because if you hadn't…"

"You'd have turned us across your knee," Luke finished for him, smirking.

Anakin grinned, too. "Damn straight," he said, smirking.

"Oh no," Leia said, suddenly remembering something important. "The meeting! Did we miss it?"

"Calm down, Leia," Anakin told her, gently. "I spoke to Mon Mothma yesterday and asked her to postpone the great debate 'til today. She agreed knowing you two would want to be there."

Luke frowned. "Aren't you going too, Father?" he asked him, curiously. "I mean this _is_ about you."

Anakin shrugged.

"I said my piece yesterday to Mon," he told him. "I'm quite content to remain here and work on this hunk of junk unless I sense something's wrong. If they come to arrest me, I'll know things didn't go in my favor. The meeting is due to start in a few minutes so you'd best hurry along."

"Are you coming?" Leia asked Han.

"Nah," he said, grinning, "I think I'll stay here and make sure the old man doesn't damage my baby."

"Humph," Anakin growled at him. "This 'old man' is liable to break you before he breaks the ship. C'mon..."

He turned and headed back up the ramp of the Millennium Falcon.

Han gave them one last smirk and then followed after him.

Luke shook his head. "This is kinda weird," he said, smiling. "But in a good way."

Leia nodded.

"We'd better go, Luke," she said. "This isn't going to be pretty, by any stretch of the imagination."

Luke nodded. "Yeah," he said, seriously. "Let's go."

They turned and headed out of the hangar.

They entered the meeting hall to the sound of the loud obnoxious voice of one of the few survivors of Alderaan.

"This is preposterous!" Galan Jarvis was saying to the Council. "You intend to allow a mass murderer to go free! He destroyed my home!"

"That's a lie!" Luke shouted, before he could stop himself.

All eyes turned to him and Leia.

The both made their way down the steps to where the angry man was.

"Jarvis," Leia told the man, trying to calm the raging man. "It was Governor Tarkin who ordered Alderaan's destruction, not Vader. Yes, he was present, but the decision wasn't his."

"Oh, please," the man scoffed, sneering. "You make me sick, _Your Highness_."

"What?" Leia asked, shocked.

Luke scowled at the man. How dare he speak to his sister that way?

"How can you defend that monster?" Jarvis asked, scowling. "He forced you to watch your home planet's destruction!"

"I'm not defending anything, Jarvis," Leia told him, trying to keep her temper. "But the fact is Vader was not responsible for Alderaan's destruction."

"That's right," Luke spoke up. "You're angry and looking for someone to blame, that's all."

"You two are traitors!" Jarvis shouted, pointing an accusing finger at them two.

He turned to the others assembled in the room and gave a sly smile.

"But then," he smirked, "how can we expect any less from the children of Darth Vader!?"

A loud gasp went through the assembly and all eyes turned to look in horror at the twins.

Both Luke and Leia looked shocked, as well. How did he know that?

"How do you know that information, Jarvis?" Mon Mothma asked, suspiciously.

"You mean it's true?!" Admiral Ackbar asked in stunned disbelief.

"Why weren't we informed of this?!" General Madine asked, outraged.

"Because it was none of your damn business, Madine," a voice spoke up, firmly.

All eyes turned to find Anakin standing in the doorway with his arms crossed, glaring at the assembled men and women.

Another gasp rang out.

"Murderer!" Jarvis shouted, and he would have gone after him but a strange Force kept him from doing so.

Anakin calmly strolled down the steps toward his children.

"Are you two all right?" he asked, concerned. "I sensed your distress."

Luke smiled. "We're fine, Father," he told him. "Just a bit stunned, is all."

Anakin turned to regard the man who had been shouting at his children.

"You have much anger and hatred in your heart," he told the man. "It can and _will_ lead you down a path you do not want to go. Trust me on that."

Jarvis turned red with fury. "You dare to lecture me!" he growled. "You…You…."

"Shut up, Jarvis," Leia growled at him. "You've said more than enough. Now, since this meeting is about Anakin, I say let him speak."

"Thank you, Leia," Anakin told his daughter, "but I really have nothing to say."

"Nothing at all?" Madine exclaimed, crossing his arms.

Anakin shook his head.

"I have already spoken to Mon Mothma," he said, nodding at the regal looking woman sitting in-between Ackbar and Madine. "I have agreed to offer any information on the Empire that you require and also perform any service asked of me by this Council."

Mon Mothma nodded.

"Gentlemen," she said to her fellow councilmen. "It is my belief that this man—while having once been Darth Vader—is no longer the same man who did the horrible things he is being accused of. It is my belief that he can and will be an asset to the Alliance. It is, therefore, my recommendation that we accept his defection and offer him a pardon. What say you?"

"Humph," Madine glared. "Seeing as how I was once in his position I can hardly heap coals upon his head. One sin is just as bad as a thousand, so they say, so I concur with Mon Mothma. I too accept the defection."

"Well," Ackbar spoke, scratching his face tendrils. "It seems majority rules, so…I too vote in favor of the defection."

Anakin and Leia both heaved a sigh of relief, while Luke smiled brightly at the news.

Luke reached out and wrapped an arm around his father's shoulders and then did the same with his sister.

He smiled at them, and they back at him.

"Anakin Skywalker," Mon Mothma spoke, smiling. "It is the decision of this council that you are hereby allowed to join the Rebel Alliance—re-obtaining the rank of 'General', which you held during the Clone Wars. As such, you will receive a full pardon for all crimes done in the name of the Empire. In return, you offer your allegiance to this council and are willing to obey any order given by it."

"I fully understand the conditions of my pardon, M'Lady," he said, nodding. "And I accept them. You have but to ask and, if it is within my power to do so, I will strive to obey."

Mon Mothma smiled.

"Good," she said, "but for now this council has no assignment for you. You, and your children, are recovering from the ordeals sustained in this last—most crucial—battle and therefore are granted the time to recover and renew your strength."

Anakin nodded.

"Thank you, M'lady," he told her. "I will personally make certain my children get the rest and relaxation they desperately need."

Luke and Leia sighed, but smiled all the same.

They supposed they would just have to get used to their father 'mothering' them from now on.

He did, after all, have twenty-one years to make up for.

The three started out of the council chamber, but were stopped by Jarvis.

The man's face was a mixture of hatred and fury.

"This isn't over," he growled at them. "You'll pay, someday. I swear it!"

With that, he turned and stormed out with his entourage following.

Anakin sighed. "He obviously didn't take my advice to heart," he said, sadly.

"We'd better keep a close eye on him," Leia said, glaring. "Something tells me he's going to be trouble."

Luke nodded.

"We will," he said, but then smiled. "Let's go tell Han and the others the good news."

"Yes, son," Anakin said, slipping an arm around both of their shoulders. "For the first time in twenty-one years, I actually feel like celebrating something."

"Really?" Leia asked, frowning. "What?"

"You'll see," Anakin said, smiling mischievously. "C'mon…"

Together the three of them headed for the hangar.

~TBC~


	7. Happy Birthday!

**Star Wars**

" **The Path to Redemption"**

 **Summary** **: The path to redemption is paved with forgiveness, hope, and love…something Anakin Skywalker, with the help from his children, is about to find out.**

 **Author's Note:** **This takes place at the end of ROTJ.**

 _ **Disclaimer:**_ **I don't own these characters. They belong to the George Lucas.**

… **Star Wars…**

 **Chapter 7:** _ **Happy Birthday!**_

Anakin, Luke, and Leia entered the hangar to find it unusually silent.

"Um," Luke said, puzzled. "Did everyone decide it was a holiday?"

Leia frowned.

"They'd better not have," she said, seriously. "The Council will throw a fit if they find out."

"Oh," Anakin said, smirking, "I wouldn't worry about that. I'm sure they're around here somewhere."

The twins glanced at each other and then back at him.

"Father," Luke asked, sensing something. "What's going on?"

"What do you mean, son?" Anakin asked, smiling.

"He means you look as if you're up to something," Leia told him, crossing her arms and glaring at him. "And considering the fact you were _just_ pardoned, I don't think you should be attracting any attention to yourself."

"Believe me, Leia," their father said, grinning. "I'm not the one going to be receiving the attention."

"Huh?" Luke and Leia asked, puzzled.

By then, they had reached the Millennium Falcon and started up the ramp.

The answer to their questions came the moment they stepped through the open hatch and everyone shouted, "Surprise!"

Anakin burst out laughing at the equally stunned looks on his children's faces.

He pulled them into a firm embrace.

"Happy Birthday, my children," he told them, squeezing them tightly.

The twins looked at each other.

"Is today your birthday?" they asked each other simultaneously.

Anakin laughed even harder.

"Of course it is," he told them. "Mon Mothma double checked your birth records for me. You were born exactly twenty-one years ago today!"

"Happy Birthday, Kid," Han told Luke, pounding him on the back.

"Thanks, Han," Luke said, still slightly stunned.

"Happy Birthday, Sweetheart," Han greeted Leia next, kissing her soundly on the lips.

Anakin scowled at that.

"That's quite enough of _that_ , Solo," he growled. "Let the girl breathe a little, for Force's sake!"

Han broke off the kiss and smirked at the older man.

"C'mon, Pops," he told him. "You know how it is when you're young and in love?"

"Yes, I most certainly do," Anakin told him, firmly. "I also know exactly how you'll be if you don't watch yourself with my daughter!"

Han just smirked and kissed Leia one more time while Luke and the others all burst out laughing while Anakin continued to scowl.

"Happy Birthday, Princess," he whispered to her again.

"Thank you," Leia told him, smiling. "And don't let him bully you."

Han just smiled.

"I think it's kinda nice," he told her, gently. "It shows he cares about you."

Leia nodded. "I suppose," she said, hesitantly.

"Look at him, Sweetheart," he told her, nodding to where Luke and Anakin were carrying on a conversation with Wedge and a few of the other pilots. "You should have seen his face when he was planning this little get together for you and Luke. I've never seen someone get so excited over a surprise party before."

"It's the first thing he's done for us as our father," Leia realized. "Had he never become Darth Vader, he and our mother probably would have planned these kinds of things for us together."

Han nodded.

"Give him a chance, Princess," he told her. "He really is an okay kind of guy, even if he does bark at me all the time."

"He doesn't mean anything by it," she reminded him, smirking.

He smirked back.

"I know," he said, winking. "Why don't you go over and spend some time with him and your brother?"

She nodded, and kissed him. Then headed over to where Luke and Anakin were.

She surprised them both by going over and hugging her father.

She then kissed him on the cheek, as well.

"Thank you," she told him, gently.

Anakin gulped, feeling tears well in his eyes.

To hear her speak to him in such a gentle forgiving manner was the best thing he could ask for.

"Yeah, Dad," Luke said, hugging him and kissing his other cheek. "Thanks."

"Dad?" Anakin asked, smiling.

He quickly wiped his eyes to keep himself from bawling like a baby.

Luke blushed. "Well," he said, sheepishly. "It just kinda came out…"

"No, no," Anakin assured him. "It's quite all right, son. I'd love for you to call me that."

Leia placed a hand on his arm.

"Would it be all right if I called you that, as well?" she asked, quietly. "Eventually, I mean. I don't think I'm quite ready yet, but maybe someday…"

Anakin's eyes widened.

"Are you sure, Leia?" he asked. "I wouldn't wish to take away from your memory of Bail."

"Papa would understand," she told him. "I loved him dearly, but for better or worse you are also my father…and though it will take time I know I can come to love you just as much."

Anakin didn't bother to wipe his tears away this time, he simply reached out and pulled them both into a hug.

It was just a wonderful feeling to be able to hold both his children in his arms.

He let them go and then took out a handkerchief.

"Would you look at me?" he asked, smiling. "This is your party. You should be spending it with your friends and not with an emotional old sod like me. Go on now—both of you."

The twins smiled and then obeyed.

Luke headed for Wedge and the other pilots while Leia went to Han, Lando, Chewie, and C-3PO.

He smiled as he reached out with the Force to feel the presences of so many young and happy people.

A beeping noise sounded at about his knees and he glanced down to find R2-D2 standing there.

The sight of the little droid brought back so many memories, and he smiled.

"Hello there, R2," he said, placing a hand on the top of the dome shaped head. "Come to keep this old man company, eh?"

The little droid beeped, a happy little chirp that he took for a yes.

"We certainly had some good times together," Anakin said, remembering. "And quite a few bad times, too."

He sighed, as thoughts of Padme flitted into his mind.

Artoo let out a mournful beep. He didn't like to see his old friend so unhappy.

That was when he remembered something…something that might cheer him up.

He started beeping loudly.

Anakin had no idea what the little droid was telling him, so he glanced around.

"Threepio," he called out to the golden droid, gaining everyone's attention. "C'mere a minute!"

The golden protocol droid obediently came over. "Yes, sir?" he asked, curiously.

"Tell me what he's saying," Anakin said, pointing to Artoo. The little droid began beeping again.

"He says he is carrying a message for you," Threepio translated.

"A message?" Anakin said, confused. "For me?" That was odd.

"What kind of message, Threepio?" Luke asked, coming over to his father.

"And who's it from?" Leia asked, also joining them.

Han and the others came, too.

Artoo beeped again.

"He says," Threepio told them, "that it was a message given to him twenty-one years ago by someone named Padme Amidala."

"Padme," Anakin whispered, his eyes going wide.

"Padme Amidala?" Leia asked, wide-eyed. "You mean, _Senator_ Padme Amidala!? The former Queen of Naboo!?"

Han let out a whistle. "That's quite a resume," he said, smirking. "She must have been something."

"She was," Leia said, obviously awed. "At the age of fourteen, she led an army against a group of greedy traders who had invaded her planet and seized it so that they could try and force the Republic Senate into renegotiating trade routes. Queen Amidala tried pleading with the Senate to send aid to her planet, but they spent too much time bickering amongst themselves. So instead, she decided to take action. Enlisting the aid of the Gungans—who were natives of Naboo—she led an uprising and managed to take back the capital!"

"She was the greatest Queen the planet ever had," Anakin said, his voice barely a whisper.

"That's right" Leia agreed. "When her term ended, the people even wanted to amend the constitution to keep her in office for a third term, but she refused."

"Why?" Han asked, curious.

"She believed in the system," Anakin said, "and didn't feel it was right to change things—at least not like that. She said that it was necessary to give the people what they needed, not what they wanted."

"So she became a Senator instead," Leia said, smiling.

Luke looked at his father.

"She seems like a wonderful woman," he said. "How did you know her?"

Anakin smiled at him and then at Leia.

"She was your mother," he told them, quietly.

Han let out another whistle. "Wow, Pops," he said, impressed.

Anakin rolled his eyes at the former smuggler.

"Tell us," Luke said, pleadingly. "Please?"

"Yes," Leia pleaded also. "We want to know."

Anakin thought a moment, but then nodded.

"All right, my children," he said, "I'll tell you. Then we'll see what that message says. Sit down, all of you."

The assembled group sat down, prepared to hear his story.

He took a deep breath, reached to the Force for calm, and then began…

~TBC~


	8. A Love Story

**Star Wars**

" **The Path to Redemption"**

 **Summary** **: The path to redemption is paved with forgiveness, hope, and love…something Anakin Skywalker, with the help from his children, is about to find out.**

 **Author's Note:** **This takes place at the end of ROTJ.**

 _ **Disclaimer:**_ **I don't own these characters. They belong to the George Lucas.**

… **Star Wars…**

 **Chapter 8: A Love Story**

"When I first met your mother," Anakin began, "I was nine years old and a slave on Tatooine."

"A slave!" Luke exclaimed, shocked.

"That's right," Leia said, sadly. "Back in the Old Republic slavery was illegal, but they didn't really bother to enforce that law too much in the Outer Rim."

"That's right," Anakin said, remembering. "My mother and I were sold to Gardulla the Hutt when I was three years old. Unfortunately, or maybe the opposite now that I think about it, she lost us when she bet poorly on a Podrace—which were quite popular in those days."

"It was said," Luke mentioned, "that no human could do it."

"That's what they said," Anakin replied, smirking. "But at least one could."

"You," Han guessed, smirking.

Anakin smirked back.

"That's right, Solo," he said. "I was racing at the age of seven and continued until I was nine."

"You said the Hutt lost you and your mother," Leia said, wanting to get back to the story. "Who did she lose you to?"

"A Toydarian named Watto," Anakin replied, remembering his old master fondly. "He was a junk dealer. Very fat and very gruff, but he was a good master I suppose. He never beat me or my mother…he valued my mechanical skills too much. You see, as far back as I can remember, I've always had a knack for fixing things and inventing things."

"What sort of things?" Han asked, curious.

The others glared at him for interrupting again. They all wanted to hear this. He just shrugged at them.

"Well," Anakin said, "C-3PO for one thing. I built him for my mother."

He smiled at the golden protocol droid.

"You built Threepio!" everyone exclaimed, surprised.

Chewie let out a disbelieving growl.

Artoo beeped an affirmative.

"I beg your pardon," Threepio asked, indignant, "but what do you mean I was naked!"

Anakin chuckled.

"He's right," he told the sensitive droid. "When he first met you, I hadn't quite finished you yet. You functioned, but didn't have any coverings."

"Why do I not remember, sir?" Threepio asked, curious.

"Your memory has probably been scrambled once or twice," Anakin told him. "It's fairly common when droids change hands so much. I'm really surprised Artoo even remembers, but he was always a clever little droid so it shouldn't surprise me that he found a way around the memory wipes. Anyway, Watto knew my value so he took very good care of me and my mother—even though he would never have admitted to doing so."

"When did you meet our mother?" Luke asked, impatient.

"I'm getting there, son," Anakin told him, smiling. He understood the boy's impatience, though.

"As Leia said, at fourteen," he continued, "Padme was the elected ruler of a small, yet beautiful, planet named Naboo. Not long after her election, a group called the Trade Federation grew angry with the Republic Senate for changing their trade routes, so they decided to invade Naboo and hold its people hostage in order to force the Senate to change the trade routes back."

"That's horrible," Leia said, appalled at the very notion of someone trying to bully such a political body.

"Yes, it was," Anakin agreed, "but they still did it. Naboo was a peaceful planet and the invasion happened without warning. They weren't prepared so the planet was taken quite easily…without any bloodshed, thankfully. Your mother and the other leaders of the planet were taken prisoner."

"So, what happened?" Han asked. "How'd you meet her?"

Anakin scowled.

"If you youngsters would let me finish," he growled, annoyed at the interruptions, "I'd get to it."

"All right," Han said, holding up his hands defensively. "I was only askin'!"

Anakin grinned. "I like you better, Solo," he said, "when your mouth isn't moving."

Han rolled his eyes. "Thanks a lot," he muttered, but he _did_ shut up.

Anakin chuckled, and then continued.

"As it turned out," he said, "the then-Chancellor of the Senate sent Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn and his apprentice, Obi-Wan Kenobi, to assess the situation and intervene if necessary."

"Obi-Wan," Luke said, surprised.

Anakin nodded, smiling.

"Yes, son," he told him, chuckling. "Even Obi-Was was a student once upon a time..."

Luke smiled at that, trying to picture his old friend as a young man.

"They saw what the Federation was doing and decided to free your mother," Anakin went on. "Along with several of her guards, they all managed to escape in one of the Nubian ships. Unfortunately, it was damaged in the scramble to escape and they wouldn't be able to make it all the way to Coruscant. They had to find somewhere to land and make repairs."

"Tatooine," Luke guessed, smirking.

"That's right, son," Anakin said, grinning. "Qui-Gon and your mother decided to find a junk dealer to see if they could get the parts they would need to repair the ship."

"They let the Queen just walk around Tatooine?" Lando asked, speaking for the first time. "Wasn't that risky?"

Anakin chuckled, remembering his beloved wife's cleverness back then.

"Yes, it was," he said, "but Qui-Gon didn't know he had the Queen with him. Padme had several handmaidens with her and she deployed a decoy to take her place while she was away."

"How'd they pull that off?" Han wanted to know, forgetting he was supposed to be quiet.

Anakin shrugged.

"She had about five or six handmaidens," he said, "and they all wore hoods so it was hard to see their faces. As the queen, she wore very elaborate face make-up and headdresses that made it hard to see her true appearance. Since she didn't like hearing second hand information…"

"She'd disguise herself as one of the handmaidens," Leia realized, "and let one of the handmaidens take her place. Brilliant!"

Anakin chuckled.

"Yes, it was," he said, proudly. "I've always suspected that maybe Qui-Gon knew all along who she was. He just pretended not to notice. It was easier that way then arguing with a headstrong, and very stubborn, teenager. Believe me, you don't want to go that route."

He gave Luke a pointed look.

"All right, I get it," Luke huffed. "I'm stubborn!"

Anakin smiled, ruffling his hair.

"But I still love you, son," he said, "even though over the last few days I've felt like tanning your behind."

Luke blushed. "I'm not that bad," he muttered, sourly.

"Wanna bet?" Anakin, Leia, and Han all three said at the same time causing everyone else to laugh and Luke to blush even more.

"Anyway," Anakin said, continuing with his story. "They decided to try one of the smaller junk dealers first and it turned out to be Watto's shop. I was sitting on the counter cleaning some spare parts, I think, when they came in. I didn't really pay that much attention to Qui-Gon at first, but I sure did notice your mother."

"Gee, we'd never have guessed," Han muttered, grinning.

"She was beautiful, and I was smitten in that moment," Anakin went on, smiling. "Of course the only thing she saw in me was a 'funny little boy'. I didn't mind, though. She could have called me bantha shit and I wouldn't have cared."

"What did you say to her?" Leia asked, curious.

Anakin blushed. "Well," he said, slightly embarrassed. "I, uh, I asked her if she was an angel?"

"What'd she say?" Luke asked, eagerly.

"She asked me what an angel was," he told them, chuckling. "I told her that they lived on the Moons of Iago, which is what I had heard from a few drunken space pilots I liked to listen to. Even though I was already a fair pilot, I was crazy over anyone who could tell me about somewhere other than the sandy rock I lived on."

"I know what you mean," Luke told him, sighing. He had grown up on Tatooine, too.

Anakin smiled, reaching out to rub his son's head.

"I'm sure you do," he told him. "Anyway, Padme asked me how I knew so much and I told her about the pilots. She then asked me how long I had lived there and I told her since I was three. When I mentioned my mom and I had been sold, she seemed shocked and asked me if I was a slave. I told her I was a person and that my name was Anakin."

"What'd she say?" Leia asked. "Was she horrified about you being a slave?"

"She was, I could tell," Anakin said, quietly. "She just apologized for hurting my feelings and said she was confused. Tatooine was strange to her, and I said it was okay. We didn't really get a chance to say anything else because Qui-Gon came back and said they were leaving. As they headed out, she turned around and told me she was glad to have met me."

"That was some first meeting," Han said, grinning. "Not quite as exciting as Leia's and mine, but then…you can't top the best, I guess."

Leia snorted.

"Yes," she said, rolling her eyes. "If flying down the garbage shoot inside a Death Star and nearly being crushed by a compactor is what you mean by the 'best'."

"Don't forget the thing that tried to eat me," Luke reminded her. "That certainly wasn't any fun!"

Leia wrinkled up her face.

"Don't remind me," she said. "I thought my heart stopped when that thing pulled you under."

Anakin grinned.

"That should teach you to think before you leap," he reminded them, smirking.

"I just want to go on record as to say that it was all Her Highness's idea," Han said. "I was in no way to blame. In fact, I didn't want to be there. It was all the kid's idea to go rescue her."

Lando elbowed him.

"Uh, Han," he stage whispered loudly. "Not exactly the best way to stay in the girl's good graces, if you know what I mean."

"Gentlemen," Anakin said, giving them a look. "And I use the term loosely…if you don't mind I'd like to continue with my story."

"In other words," Wedge said, smiling. "Shut the hell up!"

"Oh, right," the two best friends said. "Sorry."

"What happened next, Dad?" Luke asked, grinning at their antics.

"After Watto let me go for the day, I caught up with them," Anakin said. "I bought them each a small fruit that an older friend of mine sold. She warned me that a sand storm was due. Their ship was on the out skirts of the town, so I knew they wouldn't make it back before the storm hit, so I invited them home with me. My mother wasn't expecting it, but she wasn't surprised. She was used to me bringing home strange things."

Artoo beeped something that sounded very indignant.

"I quite agree with Master Skywalker, Artoo," Threepio said, haughtily, "I'm sure if I could remember the first time we met I would have thought you strange, too."

Artoo beeped something that sounded very rude.

"Really," Threepio huffed, "I've—"

"Shut up!" Everybody shouted at the golden droid, silencing him.

Anakin chuckled and patted R2's dome.

"I didn't mean anything by it, old friend," he told the small droid. "I just meant I tended to bring people home with me a lot. Mom tolerated it, though I think sometimes she wanted to box my ears for it."

"While we waited for the storm to pass," he went on, "we ate and discussed their problem. It seemed Watto wouldn't accept the credits Qui-Gon had and they didn't have any other thing of value to barter with. We knew that there had to be a way and we found it: Pod Racing. Everything on Tatooine back then revolved around those races and I was the only human who could do it."

"What did you all do?" Luke asked, curious.

"As I said," Anakin went on, "I built a Pod-racer of my own and we decided that Qui-Gon would use it to get what he wanted. He went to Watto and told him he had a Pod-racer, but no pilot for it. Watto, of course, offered my services and they agreed to split the winning—minus the parts that Qui-Gon needed, of course—with each other."

"Did your mother and Padme want you racing?" Leia asked. "I mean, it sounds kinda dangerous for a nine year old."

"No, they didn't," Anakin admitted, "but what choice did they have? They needed to get to the capital and they needed to get there fast. So, I raced and won…but it was a close call. The crowd went wild, and Watto was furious. He'd bet against me, I later learned."

"Why'd he do that?" Luke asked. "I mean, you were _his_ racer."

Anakin shrugged.

"I hadn't won a single race before," he said, "so he didn't expect me to win this one. I didn't know it then, but he and Qui-Gon had a side bet. Qui-Gon had betted that if I won, my mother and I would go free, but Watto wouldn't give up both of his slaves so they tossed a chance cube. If it landed on one color I would go free, if the other my mother would."

"Let me guess," Luke said, knowingly. "Qui-Gon used the Force a little bit to make sure it landed on your color."

Anakin nodded.

"That's right," he said, smiling. "He sensed my strength in the Force and saw my potential. He couldn't leave me there. Unfortunately, it meant I would have to leave my mother behind."

"That's sad," Leia said. "No child should be ripped from their only parent at that age."

Anakin nodded.

"I promised to return one day and free her," he said, "but I never got the chance—she, uh, died ten years later."

He gulped, forcing down the grief he still felt for his beloved mother.

"After that," he went on, "we went to Coruscant and Padme—once more in the role of Queen Amidala—went before the Senate. Of course, they weren't any help and she decided to return and confront the Federation directly. It was a bold, and completely, unexpected move…but that was your mother."

"What about you?" Luke asked. "Did Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan take you to see Master Yoda?"

Anakin nodded.

"Yes, he did," he said, "and not only him but the entire Jedi Council. There were thirteen members, all in a circle. They tested me, saw my strength in the Force, and refused me flat out."

"What?!" Luke asked, startled. "Why?"

"Master Yoda believed I was too old," he said, "that I had learned too much to "unlearn" it. A Jedi was supposed to be able to detach himself from his emotions, which was why they were raised within the temple away from outer "influences". I hadn't been raised there, and they sensed much fear in me."

"That's ridiculous," Leia exclaimed. "Of course you were scared, you'd just been taken from your mother and home."

Anakin shrugged.

"That's how the Jedi felt about such matter back then," he said, simply. "Qui-Gon couldn't believe it. He even tried to get them to let him train me. I think Obi-Wan was shocked by this. He trusted his master, but thought he was choosing me over him. He wasn't, because he believed he was ready to be tested to be a full Jedi Knight. Qui-Gon had great faith in Obi-Wan's abilities, more than he had in himself."

"What did they decide?" Luke asked, quietly.

"They said they would decide my fate later," Anakin went on, "and instructed us to return to Naboo with Padme. To make a long story short, we gathered an army, fought, and won…though, again, it was pretty close. Sadly, we lost Qui-Gon in the fight."

"Is that how Obi-Wan became your master?" Luke asked.

Anakin nodded.

"He defeated the Sith warrior that had killed Qui-Gon and earned the rank of Knight," he said. "He had promised his master as he lay dying that he would train me, and he stood by that promise…the council either had to accept me or he would leave the order to train me."

"Yeah," Han said, smirking. "That old timer was quite a guy."

"He sure was," Anakin and Luke said at the same time, and then smiled at each other.

"When did you and Mother marry?" Leia asked.

Anakin sighed.

"That was ten year later," he said, "and another story altogether. If you don't mind, I would rather tell that one later."

Luke and Leia took his hand, knowing how hard it must have been for him to tell them the story of his meeting his beloved wife.

"Of course," they said, and Anakin smiled at them.

"All right, Artoo," he said, "I think we're ready to hear that message now."

The little droid beeped an affirmative and began to play the message Padme Amidala had had him record so long ago.

~TBC~


	9. Padme's Message

**Star Wars**

" **The Path to Redemption"**

 **Summary** **: The path to redemption is paved with forgiveness, hope, and love…something Anakin Skywalker, with the help from his children, is about to find out.**

 **Author's Note:** **This takes place at the end of ROTJ.**

 _ **Disclaimer:**_ **I don't own these characters. They belong to the George Lucas.**

… **Star Wars…**

 **Chapter 9:** _ **Padme's Message**_

Artoo's one "eye" began to glow and from it was projected a blue outlined image of a young woman in her mid-twenties with long, curly brown hair and deep brown eyes.

She wore a simple, yet very expensive looking, gown that didn't bother to hide the fact that she was obviously several months pregnant.

"Padme," Anakin whispered, finding it suddenly hard to breathe.

"She's beautiful," Luke whispered, taking his father's right hand.

Leia felt hands on her shoulders and looked back to find Han leaning down to whisper in her ear.

"Well, Sweetheart," he whispered to her, "now we know where you get your good looks."

She smiled at him and clasped her right hand over his.

She started to say something, but her mother's image began to speak and all her attention was focused on that.

"Oh, Anakin," the holo-image of Padme Amidala-Skywalker said, "I'm so happy right now, and yet I've never been more scared in my life. I think perhaps you, my love, have gone and made me a bit paranoid what with those nightmares of yours about me dying in childbirth."

Anakin felt his breath hitch in his chest, as a wave of unparallel grief swept over him.

"I'm having Artoo record this, Anakin," Padme's message continued, "because I fear what might happen. Things are so awful right now, and I fear we won't ever get to simply be a family and raise our children on Naboo like we planned…"

Padme paused, smiling.

"Yes, Anakin Skywalker," she continued, smirking. "I said _children_. I intend to tell you tonight once you're home, but in case an emergency occurs before I get the chance I've instructed Artoo to play this for you whenever he gets the chance. I have just been to the doctor, and she told me something amazing. We're having twins! Oh, Anakin, isn't it wonderful?!"

Anakin smiled, reaching out to pull his children closer.

"Yes, my love," he whispered, hugging them gently. "It certainly is."

"She said one is a boy and the other is a girl," Padme's message went on. "Remember? You said you hoped it was a girl, and that she would look like me, and I said I hoped it was a little boy that looked just like you. It seems we're both getting our wish! Oh, and I've think I've finally solved our name problem. I'd like to name the boy "Luke" and the girl "Leia"."

"So, that's where we got our names," Luke said. "I'd always wondered."

"Me, too," Leia said, grinning.

Anakin just grinned, his eyes never leaving his lost love's face.

"I know you had wanted to name our daughter, Shmi, after your mother," Padme continued. "But these names feel right somehow, Anakin. I _know_ these are the names our children are meant to have. Oh, I can't wait to tell you! You're going to be so excited, but for now I have to go. The Chancellor has called an emergency meeting, for some reason, and I must get to the Senate. I'll see you tonight, my love."

She reached a hand out, and then her image faded. Artoo's "eye" returned to normal and he beeped something.

"He says," Threepio translated, "that was all."

Luke looked at his father. "Why didn't you ever see this message?" he asked, curiously.

"Because," Anakin said, tears falling freely down his face. "It was made the night I succumbed to the Dark Side."

"Oh," Luke said, biting his lip.

"The meeting your mother referred to," he said, "was when Palpatine declared himself Emperor."

"She was there," Leia realized, her eyes glistening with tears. "Watching while everything she had fought so hard to preserve fell to ruins."

"Yes," Anakin nodded. "Palpatine had sent me to Mustafar, and it was there that she came. She told me she wanted to leave, to go far away and raise you in peace. I was too blinded by my anger and hatred that I couldn't see anything else. Obi-Wan had followed her, and I accused her of betraying me."

"That's when you fought, wasn't it?" Luke asked, hesitantly. "That night was when you fell into the lava pit?"

Anakin nodded.

"I couldn't see reason," he said, "and Obi-Wan had no choice but to disarm me. He cut my legs off at the knees and I landed in the pit. He tried to help me, but I refused and slid into the pit. I survived, as you know, and managed to pull myself out somehow. That was when Palpatine found me."

"And had you put into the suit," Luke said, quietly.

Anakin nodded.

"Yes," he said. "It was then that he told me that in my anger I had killed your mother."

"But that can't be true," Leia said, "otherwise Luke and I wouldn't be here."

"It's true that I harmed her," Anakin said, anguish in his voice. "I was angry and I lashed out at the nearest person—which was your mother. S-She must have survived long enough to give birth, but then…"

He placed his head in his hands and started to sob.

Luke and Leia both reached their arms around him, giving him what comfort they could.

The others all remained silent, knowing how important it was to allow the little family to sort out their emotions on their own.

After about ten minutes, Anakin lifted his head and wiped his eyes.

"Thank you, my children," he told them, "but this is supposed to be _your_ celebration. You shouldn't be spending it on comforting a bawling old man."

"That bawling old man is our father," Luke told him, smiling, "and he's more important than any party."

"That's right," Leia said. "You loved her very much, didn't you?"

Anakin nodded.

"With all my heart and soul," he said, quietly. "I loved her then, and I love her now. I'll love her 'til the day I die and perhaps even after that."

He stood up.

"We have been melancholy quite enough for one day," he declared, firmly. "It is time for some cake and then presents. Solo?"

"Right," Han said, and then went to fetch something from the cockpit. He came back out with a cake.

The words "Happy Birthday, Luke and Leia" were written on it in blue and pink icing.

"It's beautiful," Leia said, "though it does resemble a child's cake…"

Anakin shrugged.

"I have twenty years' worth of birthdays to catch up on," he said, "and I wasn't sure quite what to have written on it. This is what the ship's mess officer suggested so…"

"Its fine, Dad," Luke told him, grinning. "I'm sure it'll still taste great."

"Well," Han said, "what are you waiting for? Blow out the candles, you two!"

Luke and Leia smiled at each other and then taking two huge breaths that blew out all twenty-one candles.

The cake was soon cut and everyone was soon eating and laughing once again.

Anakin felt the grief he'd felt fade a bit, not completely, for he was very aware that there was one presence missing from this celebration.

Padme would have enjoyed seeing their children on this day, just as much as he did.

"All right," he said, once everyone was finished, "I think it's time for presents."

Luke and Leia were both pleasantly surprised at the number of gifts.

"We were only in the infirmary one day," the young Jedi said. "How'd you manage the gifts?"

"We have our ways, kid," Han told him, winking. "You and the Princess just get busy opening them."

Most everything they received were things their friends had purchased months ago, such as a new blaster belt for Luke and a new dress for Leia, but from their father they received two rather unique gifts.

Leia found a rectangular wooden box and upon opening it discovered, to her shock and surprise, a lightsaber!

She looked up at Anakin, her brown eyes wide.

Anakin smiled at his daughter.

"The Force is strong with you, Leia," he reminded her. "The sooner you begin your Jedi training, the better. It is usually customary for the student to build their first lightsaber, but seeing as how this is a unique situation I figured we'd do things differently. Go ahead, turn it on."

Everybody stepped back as Leia pulled the lightsaber from its box and flicked the switch, igniting the blade.

It was a cobalt blue color.

"I used an azure fire crystal," Anakin told her. "It's a good, strong blade and will serve you well."

"How did you build it so quickly?" Luke asked his father. "It took me nearly three days to construct mine."

Anakin shrugged.

"During the Clone Wars," he explained, "the Jedi had their lightsabers destroyed quite often so we had to learn to build them rather quickly. My best time was under an hour, but that was a long time ago. It took me about three hours to build this one."

Leia hit the switch again and deactivated the blade.

"Thank you," she whispered to him. "I'll take good care of it."

Anakin smiled.

"I know you will," he told her, "and we'll start your training tomorrow if you like."

"What'd you get, kid?" Han asked Luke, as he had yet to open his gift from his father.

"Oh," Luke said, and started to tear open his gift. He found a cylinder box and opened it.

From within, he pulled what appeared to be a set of blue prints.

Opening them, he gasped at the design before him. He looked up at Anakin with a wide-eyed expression.

"D-Dad," he said, "this is a…"

"The designs for your new ship," Anakin told him. "I've already gone ahead and ordered the parts to start us off. I thought, maybe, you and I could build it together."

"B-But this will cost…" Luke started to argue.

"Don't worry about the money, son," Anakin told him. "I checked and my accounts are still active and there is more than enough in them to build this ship and a couple of others besides. The Emperor may have been a ruthless, evil bastard…but at least he paid well."

Everybody seemed to get a chuckle out of that.

"I don't know what to say," Luke said, glancing down at the designs. He'd always wanted a starship of his own.

"How about thank you," Anakin suggested, smirking, "and that you'll let your old man help you build her."

Luke smiled.

"Thank you," he said, "and of course you'll help me…in fact, you'll probably be doing most of the work."

Anakin chuckled.

"Oh no," he said, reaching out to rub his son's head. "This is going to be father-son project—a joint effort. Got it?"

"Got it, Dad," Luke told him, hugging him. "I love you."

Anakin hugged him back. "I love you too, son," he whispered in his ear.

"Okay, okay," Han said, draping an arm around his future brother-in-law and father-in-law. "Enough of this mushy stuff. Let's party!"

For the rest of the evening, that is precisely what they did.

~TBC~


	10. Epilogue

**Star Wars**

" **The Path to Redemption"**

 **Summary** **: The path to redemption is paved with forgiveness, hope, and love…something Anakin Skywalker, with the help from his children, is about to find out.**

 **Author's Note:** **This takes place at the end of ROTJ.**

 _ **Disclaimer:**_ **I don't own these characters. They belong to the George Lucas.**

… **Star Wars…**

 **Epilogue**

Luke strolled toward his father's quarters.

They had agreed to begin training this morning, and he couldn't wait to see his father in his new clothes that he'd had ordered.

It would be interesting to see him in official Jedi garb.

Luke himself was wearing an almost near replica of the clothes he'd worn on Tatooine, except that they were blue.

A light blue sleeveless tunic over a dark blue long-sleeved under-shirt with light blue pants and dark blue calf-length boots fit him just right...and didn't look bad, either.

His lightsaber hung on his left hip and his blaster on his right.

Reaching his father's quarters, he started to knock when the door opened and Anakin came storming out looking madder than a herd of reeks.

"Someone is going to pay for this!" he growled, gesturing down at himself.

He wore the same undershirt, tunic, pants, and boots as Luke excect that over all this was a long, white hooded robe.

Luke tried very hard not to smile, but he couldn't help himself and started laughing.

Anakin scowled at him and crossed his arms over his chest.

"This is not funny, young man," he told him, sternly. "I want to know exactly whose bright idea it was to put me in this…this… _thing!_ "

"Uh, well…" Luke hesitated. Anakin crossed his arms.

"You might as well tell me the truth," he told him, sternly. "I'll find out one way or another. Was it you or Leia?"

"Actually," Luke told him, grinning. "It was Han."

Anakin's face darkened.

"Solo," he growled, frowning. "That should have been my first guess!"

Luke grinned.

"He said he thought it'd be hilarious," he told him, smirking. "You know because most people are used to seeing you in black and all…"

"Oh, did he?" Anakin said, raising an eyebrow. "Well, we'll see how funny he thinks it is after I'm done with him! Where's your sister?"

"Getting ready," Luke told him. "She said she'd meet us in the training room."

"Good," Anakin said, smiling wickedly. "Then I can deal with the Han 'I-Think-I'm-Hot-Stuff' Solo right now."

With that, he turned and headed down the corridor.

Luke winced, wondering what his father intended to do.

He wouldn't really _hurt_ Han, would he?

After a moment, he decided he didn't want to take any chances and raced after him.

They arrived at the hangar where the Millennium Falcon was docked for repairs.

"SOLO!" Anakin roared, his voice echoing over the hangar. "Get your sorry ass out here right this minute!"

He pointed directly in front of him.

Luke winced at that. This did not bode well for his friend.

"Dad," he started to say, but was silenced by a glare from his father.

Han came out of the ship, saw who was shouting, and crossed over to them with a large smirk on his face.

"So, Pops," he said, cheekily. "How'd you like the duds?"

Anakin crossed his arms.

"You have five seconds to explain to me why I'm wearing this…this… _thing_ ," he growled, gesturing to the white robe.

Han held up his hands in self-defense.

"Whoa, whoa," he said, putting on his patented grin. "Calm down, old timer. It was just a joke!"

Anakin's eyes narrowed. "Does it look like I'm laughing, Solo?" he growled, angrily.

"Well, no," Han admitted, and then muttered. "It's kinda hard to tell with you, though…"

Luke winced. _Han, why don't you just shoot yourself now and get it over with!_

"Well then," Anakin said, "let me make it a bit easier for you."

Han suddenly found himself bent over at the waist—held there by the Force, it seemed.

"Hey!" he exclaimed. "What are ya doin'?"

"Giving you a little lesson," Anakin told him, smirking. "It's called 'Don't Piss Off a Jedi'!"

A small flat piece of metal suddenly rose up in the air and hovered just above Han's backside.

Luke's eyes widened. Surely his father wasn't going to…

The metal came down, striking the struggling Han rather hard across his rear.

"What the hell!" Han exclaimed, hissing in pain and surprise, but was unable to get up.

"You pulled a childish prank, Solo," Anakin told him, crossing his arms over his chest. "So you get a child's punishment."

The make-shift paddle came down again, this time a bit harder.

Han yelped, and kept yelping as the thing descended several more times.

"Damn it!" Han exclaimed, after about the tenth pop of the make-shift paddle. "I'm sorry already! Stop it!"

Anakin smirked, and the piece of metal dropped to the floor.

"All right, Solo," he told him, chuckling. "You can get up."

Han raised up, wincing at the pain in his ass. He reached back to rub it, and glared at the older man.

"I take it all back," he growled, almost pouting. "You're _worse_ than Vader!"

Anakin chuckled. "You better believe it," he told him, smirking.

Removing the white robe, he tossed it at him.

"Rip that thing apart," he ordered, sternly, "and use it for rags."

"Yeah, yeah," Han said, still rubbing.

Chewie and Luke couldn't help it anymore, they both started laughing their heads off.

"Laugh it up, furball," Han growled. "And just you wait, kid. He'll be doing it to you next!"

Luke grimaced, and glanced at his father uncertainly.

"Don't worry, son," Anakin told him. "You'll know when I'm mad at you, trust me."

Luke nodded. "I'm sure, Dad," he said, giving Han a sympathetic look.

"C'mon, son," Anakin told him, patting him on the back. "Let's go find you sister. We still have training to do."

Luke nodded and followed him out of the hangar.

They found Leia coming out of her quarters.

She matched them, with her clothes, exactly.

Her lightsaber hung at her belt just like theirs did.

"What have you two been up to?" she asked, curious.

"Nothing much," Anakin said, grinning. "Just teaching a valuable lesson to someone…"

"Really?" Leia asked. "Who?"

"Trust me," Luke told her, grinning. "You don't want to know."

Leia looked puzzled.

"Are you ready for training?" Anakin asked her, seriously.

She nodded.

"Yes," she told him, "I want to be a Jedi just like my brother…and my father."

Anakin smiled.

"Then," he said, draping an arm around his children and guiding them down the corridor. "Let's begin."

They still had a long way to go.

People still watched him like a hawk and sent dirty glares at his back.

Some who had been friends with Luke and Leia now refused to speak to them because of their support of him.

But with each day that passed, he grew closer to his children.

With each day that passed, he slowly began to make amends for the horrors of his past.

The path to redemption was a long one…but in the end it would be more than worth it.

~The End~


End file.
